Double Life
by robisbetterinharrypotter
Summary: Elizabethe has inherited a serious condition. Now she has been bitten by a werewolf before her first year at Hogwarts.  pretty much I took the two types of werewolves from hp and twilight. first two chapters are slow, sorry bout that.
1. Life is Full of Opposites

so here's my next story, and it's kind of different in the sense that it does not feature a particular character from either Harry Potter or Twilight, but rather features a new set of character's i've created (with the help of my friends for some names) that live in the Harry Potter world (with a little bit of Twilight thrown in).

And i know you're not gonna think the first chapter is interesting, or the second, or the third, or even the fourth and fifth, but if you skip to chapter 14, then maybe you'll want to read more. and i most certainly hope you do.

* * *

Life is full of opposites. And everyone has a secret to keep from someone else.

In case you're wondering why I said this, just look at me. I'm an average girl, raised in Birmingham, England, right?

Wrong. First of all, I've only been here for about a month. The thing is, I've moved so often that you wouldn't notice, because I fit in just fine.

Let me just give you a short intro on my life before now.

My Inuit name is Puyuk, but in America and elsewhere, like most of the people I know up here, I go by an American name. Elizabethe, with an extra e. I guess it's actually English.

I was born on July 16, 1995, in a small town in Alaska. My I'm not going to name it, because you've most likely never heard of it anyways. My father was native to Alaska, but he died in a freak snowmobile accident when I was 2. My mother, who was from Derbyshire, England, disappeared a year later. Max told me she was distraught after his death, so I've come to assume she just wandered out in the snow with no desire to live anymore.

Auntie Max technically isn't my aunt, so I've come to call her Max. She was my mother's best friend, maid of honor at the wedding, etc., and until a month and a half ago, my guardian. I've lived with her and her children since my mother disappeared 11 years ago. She'd always tell us stories as kids.

Max told me they were all real: how the winds were created, why this is this and how that came to be; and how Inuits became wolves.

I was especially sure of that one.

You see, during the winter, when I was about five, Max's eldest son Bryce, who was about fourteen, came down with a fever. At first he actually was sick, but we had all gotten over that cold in a few days. He was shivering with the chills for two weeks before he finally stood up and ran away. We found him all right, but Max put together the pieces and figured it out. So occasionally, Bryce would run out of the house and we'd look out the window, and sure enough, a wolf would be running off in the distance. I don't know why Max was so surprised when this happened, but maybe its some freaky genetic thing that happens only every few generations.

Well, when I got a particularly bad bout of the flu a year later, she started worrying about me. I guess she thought that I had the same gene. Maybe I do, maybe I don't. Anyways, I turned out fine, but that cold caused me to have a seizure, and I just kept having them after that. If I did have that freaky gene, I've been spared from shape-shifting because I'm a girl (after all, were- means man); if I didn't have the freaky gene, then I'm just another case of epilepsy.

When I was ten and a half, Max told me about my mother; who she was, and where she went to school. My mother was a witch, and she attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, somewhere in England. It was like, really weird that all this fantasy stuff was just popping out into our world. I was sent to Salem, Massachusetts (ironic, isn't it?) for an all-girls (witches) boarding school, because Max thought the weather was the closest to the harsh winds and snow of the Alaskan tundra.

It was the warmest place I'd ever been in my life.

After two years of feeling so very far away from my family, I moved to a different school. Same idea, but half way across the country in the other Salem. It was much more comfortable to see the same ocean as the one I grew up in, even if it was warmer than Massachusetts. It was even better that it was closer to Alaska than Massachusetts (I know it's a stretch, but it really is closer).

When my family visited, Bryce and his super-sensitive wolf nose told us that Salem, Oregon was dangerous. Nothing bad had happened, but just to make him feel better knowing that I was safe, Max sent me off to Birmingham, England, with two magical foster-parents so I could attend Hogwarts.

And here I am.

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so obviously i don't own any of the things from the harry potter/twilight world, because no one on fanfiction does. although i guess every author on fanfiction owns their own characters that they've created, don't they?

also, i would like to point out that just because a fanfiction doesn't include romance, doesn't mean it's bad, or not worth reading. savvy?


	2. A Birthday in London

hey, sorry i haven't uploaded in a while (a long time actually) but i've had this written and i never really uploaded it.

* * *

I woke up several times this morning, only I was too lazy to actually get up. When I actually got out of bed at around ten, my foster mother Marina still had some pancakes left for me. Surprisingly, they were still warm, even though her husband, Paul, had left hours ago. The joys of magic.

"So what would you like to do for your birthday this year?"

Right. My turning fifteen was only two days away. Yay.

"Umm…I don't really care," I said.

"Nothing isn't an option. Actually, I know what we'll do. Is there anything you want in particular?"

"Is nothing an option here?" I grinned.

"Nope. If you think of something, tell me."

"Alright." And she walked out of the room to her office. Marina worked with the Ministry of Magic, with magical animals and whatnot. She tracked magical animals that had come too close to Muggles and cities and brought them back to their original habitat.

I ate the rest of my pancakes in silence. When I was done, I dressed and stuffed my wand into my jacket. I'm still getting used to my new neighborhood, so I went for a walk around the block.

A small orange tabby ran delicately across the sidewalk when I was no more than two houses down. I couldn't help but pick up the cute thing, and it seemed to like me well enough.

I locked eyes with a guy watering the lawn in the third house down. "Is this your cat?" I yelled across to him.

"Yup. His name is Rajah."

I started walking towards him. "That's cute, just like the tiger from Aladdin."

"Yup," his eyes widened when his brain clicked, "Hey, you're the new kid. Ha, No wonder you've got the funny accent," he joked.

"Hey! Look who's talking!" I set down his cat.

He chuckled "Okay, all right. I'm Nick, by the way."

"I'm Elizabethe. I live in that house, with the unicorn mailbox."

"Yeah, I know. I know all about you." I raised my eyebrow in question. "Our parents are good friends, they were talking all about you. And," he added dramatically, "we'll be going to the same school when September rolls around." He turned off the hose and walked into his house.

"Well, it'll be nice to know at least one person when I start."

"You can come on inside," he said.

I stepped into a short hallway that led to a living room, where he was already plopped down on the couch. "So," I started "what year will you be?"

"Seventh," he answered calmly.

"Really?" I asked, incredulous.

"Yeah. I'm not exactly the tallest person in the world, am I?"

Now that I thought about it, he was about as tall as me, 5'6", which I guess is pretty short for a seventeen-year-old guy.

I spent the afternoon at Nick's house and met his parents, who I guess are pretty nice. My parents met us at his house and we had dinner, then we went back home.

I got to know him pretty well over the next two days. The only thing I didn't tell him about was my epilepsy and Bryce's condition.

* * *

It took a while for my brain to figure out it was my birthday when it was still in sleep mode. I was quite alarmed when my family and Nick stormed my room at six in the morning, telling me happy birthday, and to get up soon because they have a really big day planned.

Great.

Marina made crepes for breakfast, because she started freaking out when I said I had never had them before. When we finished getting ready, Nick got his parents from his house while we waited on the curb. When the street was empty, Nick's parents Apparated first.

"Don't kill me if this turns out badly," Nick joked, "and luckily for me, it never has. Grab my arm, and hold on tight."

A second later, I was sucked into what seemed like a black tube, way too small for me. I was pushed and compressed on all sides until I could almost feel my lungs burst. Then I was back on solid ground so quickly I nearly fell down.

A nearby sign told me we were in Diagon Alley.

"Okay, there are a few things we need to buy for school," said Paul, looking down a list of supplies. "Well, you have a cauldron, wand, and all that. We should probably restock your Potions supply though. You'll need some Hogwarts robes, and then your books."

"If you see anything you'd like for your birthday, just tell me," said Marina. I nodded.

"Well, I think we'd better get going on our shopping, too. Nick, you can get your books with Elizabethe, too." Mrs. Matthews handed him with a bag of coins.

First, we stopped by at Madame Malkin's for some Hogwarts robes. There was a pet shop next door, which I rushed into right after. I checked out the rabbits and cats, and Nick was over with the snakes, rats, and who knows what other animals.

"Marina, can I get a cat?"

"If it's allowed at Hogwarts and you can take care of it, you may." Marina turned to Nick. "Are they allowed?"

"Yeah, Rajah comes there with me." Nick turned around, holding a garden snake.

I picked out a sleek, glossy black cat with a white diamond on its chest. Nick insisted on buying a cat bed; his present, for my birthday.

We went on to buy our books. I held my cat, and Nick put an Expanding Charm on his bag so I could dump all my stuff inside. Marina went off with my dad, and that left me and Nick wandering Diagon Alley.

"What should I name this cat?"

"Sherlock. Ocelot. Diamond. Ares. Ophelia. Romeo. Caesar. Sinbad," he began.

"Hmm, I like Romeo. Yeah, the 1968 version of the movie was really good, have you seen it?" I looked at him.

"Yeah, but I'm not into the whole sappy romance stuff," he replied.

We stopped at a small café and ate sandwiches for lunch, then bought some ice cream afterward. Nick gave me a tour of the rest of Diagon Alley.

"Hey, what's that?" I said, pointing to a bright shop emitting various noises with kids flowing in and out.

"Oh, that's Archie McPhee's. Biggest magical joke shop around. They've even extended it to some Muggle merchandise around England."

We stepped inside. There were different sets of products in every corner; fireworks, pills, fake items meant to be pulled as pranks, you name it. There was a whole floor dedicated to sweets and candies, even some lollipops with crickets inside them. Another floor was split in half; one side was filled with girly merchandise, love potions and fluffy pink things, and the other side was filled with boyish products and who knows what.

We spent some time wandering around the store, then continued our journey around Diagon Alley. When we met up with our parents again, we Apparated to the heart of London and ate dinner there after Paul dropped Romeo off at home.

London is probably the biggest city I've ever been in, but it was a great way to spend my birthday. We got home late, and I fell asleep as soon as I could, Romeo snoozing on my feet.

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Reviews?


	3. Full Moon

So sorry I haven't written in a long time. well, actually, I wrote this a while ago and I never uploaded, and every time I look at it I proofread it and change a few things.

* * *

"You can drive? No way!" My eyes widened as he led me to a blue Prius.

"Yes way. How do you think we get around when we have to look "normal"? Do you have our stuff?"

I checked my bag, which Nick had put an Expanding Charm on, again. "Blankets, food, did you bring the Cleansweeps?"

"Yeah. Wait, I forgot a few things." He rushed back into the house and came out holding some firecrackers and a jar of blue fire. "Okay, I think we're about ready to go."

Tonight, there was going to be a full moon _and_ a meteor shower. Nick drove way out into the countryside where the city lights wouldn't bother us when the sun set. He taught me the basics of Quidditch, which we never played at my old schools. Nick played for his house, Gryffindor, and was a Chaser. He brought his broom and an older model of his, and we borrowed a neighbor's basketball for the Quaffle.

When the sun started to set, we ate, then set off some of the firecrackers until the moon came out. We lay on the grass, and I covered myself with a blanket and stared at the moon. My mind started wandering; from Hogwarts, to Salem, to home. I wonder what Max and my family were doing now. During the summer, the sun was out almost constantly, and it was probably daytime there anyway, so I doubt they could see the shower anyways. I missed the long summer days and long winter nights up there, the cold and the northern lights at night.

My train of thought was cut short when I heard a rustle in the bush. I sat up and looked around, but I couldn't see anything.

* * *

Nick sat up, wondering what had happened with Elizabethe.

"What happened?" He started looking around.

Elizabethe started trembling, and she fell back onto the grass. Nick watched in alarm as her eyes rolled back, and she continued shaking. Blood rushed in his ears as he started panicking, trying to be calm and think of what to do. She groaned as the wind escaped her lungs, and her eyes became dark around the edges, so it looked as if she had not slept in days. Nick held her head off the ground until it subsided.

Nick turned Elizabethe on her side, then felt his pockets for his phone. Not there.

He checked the bag where Elizabethe put the blankets in. Not there either.

He ran as fast as he could back to the car, to check if it was in there. Did he leave it at home?

He decided he would just leave the car here for now and Apparate back home. Nick packed up the bag, and locked it in the car. When he picked up Elizabethe, he saw a bloody puncture wound on the back of her left hand. Blood was soaking through her jacket sleeve.

Apparating in front of Elizabethe's house, he rushed in as quickly as he could.

* * *

For the next few…minutes? Hours? Days? I opened my eyes every once in a while and then slipped back into a heavy sleep.

* * *

The first thing I noticed was a pounding headache. My mouth was dry and I felt like crap.

I heard voices muttering in the background as I slowly became aware of my surroundings. When I finally wrenched my eyes open, they ached from the light and I saw fuzzy shapes moving around.

I recognized Marina's voice as she knelt beside me. "Hey. We were so worried about you," she said, concern clearly visible in her voice. "You had a seizure when you were with Nick. It's been two days."

"Is he here?" I asked bitterly. I tried to push myself into a sitting position, but my left hand was wrapped under a layer of bandages.

"Yes. He's sleeping on the couch. You gave him quite a scare," she said as I examined the bandages on my wrist and palm. Marina looked down at my hand.

"He was putting your stuff in the car and something came out of nowhere and bit your hand. He didn't see it. A Healer came by, and someone from my department too." She inhaled deeply. "They think it's a werewolf bite. I honestly don't know what's going on, and I don't know what's going to happen. Please don't blame Nick, he's distraught."

"No, it's not his fault. It's nobody's fault." I said calmly. And I started the story of Bryce's condition, and the chance that the same gene may have caused my epilepsy.

"Oh. Well that's quite interesting," said Marina, when I finished. I suspected she didn't want to scare me any more with anything she may be thinking, so she left me to rest, and I took another nap because my body was aching all over.

I woke up an hour later to a knock on the door. "Come in."

"Hey Elizabethe, how are you feeling?" Nick stepped in and pulled a chair next to my bed. "Look, I'm so sorry, I—,"

I cut him off. "No, you have no reason to be sorry." He avoided making eye contact with me. "Look at me," I said sternly, "something like this was bound to happen."

And then I told him the story I told Marina, about Bryce, the werewolves, and my theory. But secretly, I was kind of mad at him. Just a little, right now. I bet I would be more angry if I still wasn't under the influence of several anesthetic potions.

"But what do we do when the full moon comes around? You can't be running around biting people."

"My mom has a solution for this. Wolfsbane potion."

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Please feel free to write reviews, criticism, feedback, and suggestions.


	4. Wolfsbane Potion

This is another I wrote a long time ago that I haven't uploaded until now. enjoy :)

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A steaming glass of Wolfsbane potion lay on the counter. It smelled awful. I had to take this every day the week before a full moon, for the rest of my life. Great.

I picked it up and sniffed it again. It was so powerful I sneezed. "Cheers," I held up the glass. Marina and Paul watched as I downed the entire glass. Immediately, all my senses protested and I ran to the bathroom to heave it all up again.

When I returned, Paul said "Well, I'd say you're allergic to that stuff. Your genes may make it impossible to prevent your monthly transformation."

All of a sudden, my fingers started tingling, and I started trembling as the tingling numbness spread to the rest of my body. I started hyperventilating, and my vision became fuzzy, then turned red. Dizzy, I did my best to stay on my feet while I burst out the back door. As soon as I was out there, I grew taller and taller.

* * *

Elizabethe grew taller and taller, until she transformed into a large, chocolate brown wolf. It shook it's fur out of it's eyes, then growled. It—she— started to go berserk, trying to adjust to her new form.

I followed the first idea that popped into my head; go outside. Before Elizabethe's parents could stop me, I threw open the sliding door. I have no idea what made me do it, but maybe I just have problems with going with the first idea that I think of, instead of brainstorming a wiser plan, but I ran towards the wolf, thinking that it would be a good idea to calm her down.

This was a very, very bad idea.

See, I tried to get as close as I could, but it must not have been thinking right, and before I could step back, it swiped my hand and sank it's teeth into my arm. I staggered back into a set of chairs, cursing myself for being so stupid.

As I later found out, after I went home and got cleaned up, it was not all that deep, I just lost a rather large amount due to the fact that I was bitten along the vein in my right arm. My parents were most afraid of the fact that I would become a werewolf, which, after all, wouldn't be that bad, seeing as I had a friend to suffer through it.

No, my biggest fear was recovering and being Chaser as well as Captain of Gryffindor's Quidditch team.

Although it was almost dark when I came back several hours later, I still needed to see how she was doing. I still felt guilty.

"Hey," I said when Elizabethe's father, Paul, opened the door, "has she…you know…gone back to normal?"

"Uh, well," he cleared his throat, "why don't you come on in?"

I came in and sat at a table, where Marina had laid out several books. When she saw my bandaged arm, her eyes widened. "Oh my gosh, was it really that bad? Did your parents have a Healer come over? Surely they must have—,"

I cut her off before she could fuss any more. "It's alright, it wasn't all that deep, you know. It was just because it was near a vein."

"Well, I'm going to make her apologize as soon as she transforms back. I honestly don't know what happened. I have all my books from my study out here, and we've been looking since you've left," she gestured to the books. "She shouldn't have transformed in the first place, under _normal_ conditions, seeing that it's been two days since the full moon. Her genes must be making an impact on this. It seems as though it doesn't have to be a full moon for her to transform, but we don't know how to turn her back. We don't whether it's involuntary or voluntary, whether her mind stays the same, and recognizes the people she knows, or if her human mind is not conscious while she is a wolf. Or if the bite," she glanced again at my arm, "will have any effect on you."

"Stop scaring him, will you? That's not our main objective here. What we need to do first is get her back," said Paul, sternly.

Marina glared at her husband. "Well, we can't get her back without extensive research! She's the first of her kind!" She started to raise her voice. "I've messaged the Ministry, and they're going through all the files around the world, searching for a case like this! As far as I know, this genetic werewolf thing is very, very uncommon, and then to get bitten by a werewolf that may or may not be of a different species, it's just never happened before! And then _he_," she pointed at me, "got bitten, and we don't know if he'll turn out like her or not!"

She sighed, and all of a sudden, her rage and anger melted, and she sank down in a chair. Her eyes misted over and she was suddenly speaking from far away. "All I wanted was a healthy child, Paul. One who won't leave us again." Marina's voice then turned bitter as she snapped back to reality. "What could I have possibly done to deserve this?" She rested her head in her hands.

Paul wrapped his arms around her and said in a calm, comforting voice, "Now, you know she won't die, we'll find a way to help her. Elizabethe can still be a normal teenager. I think you've just been worrying too much for the past couple of days. I'm going to make you some tea, and maybe by then, someone will have found something."

I sat in a chair near the door, with the screen closed but the door open so I could hear if Elizabethe turned back. Meanwhile, Paul was getting tea for Marina and trying to get her to calm down.

I have no idea how long I sat there, waiting, but eventually I heard some mumbling outside.

"Ugh, Bryce never told me his clothes got shredded when _he_ transformed…."

"Elizabethe?"

"Nick? Nick, can you do me a favor? Can you get my mom to get me some clothes and bring them around the corner of the house? Please?"

I told her mum to get her clothes, and she certainly seemed a lot more…positive, now that Elizabeth had found a way to transform back to a human. Paul and I helped her inside, since she was still so dizzy from the ordeal, and she took a shower while Marina gathered up Elizabethe's clothes, which had ripped when she transformed.

When she came out, we were waiting at the table so she could eat with us. I unconsciously placed my right arm on the table, and when Elizabethe came in, her eyes widened.

"My gosh, Nick, what have _you_ been up to since you were last here?"

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Comments? please?


	5. Contagious

hope you enjoy it. :)

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"My gosh, Nick, what have_ you_ been up to since you were last here?"

His hand was bandaged up, and you could still see traces of blood that had started to leak through before it dried into a dark red-brown. The bandage wrapped around his thumb, around his hand several times, and up a good portion of his lower arm.

"Umm…I'll get to that later," he said nervously.

Mom motioned me to sit down, and I did, while she scooped some pasta onto everyone's plate. "So, are you feeling any better?"

"Aside from a headache, yeah, pretty much. I still fell like, really confused, like after you wake up from a nap and you have no idea what happened while you were sleeping."

"You _do_ know what happened, didn't you?" Dad asked in a concerned voice.

"Somewhat?" I asked uncertainly. "I do remember drinking that potion, and that made me pretty sick. And I went outside, and I transformed."

"Do you remember anything else?" asked Mom.

"No, not really. I remember feeling like I was in shock, I guess that werewolf thing was finally getting to me, but…I'm feeling much better now, mind you. Like I told you, something like this was bound to happen." I started to eat my pasta.

"What about coming back to us?" Nick raised his eyebrow.

"Well…I don't really know. I wasn't thinking much, and my brain wasn't functioning normally, I guess."

Marina turned around so she could see me from the kitchen. "So…you weren't aware of what was happening? It was as if your brain was more wolf than human?"

"I don't know, I guess so. But if you did describe it like that, I guess that's how you could describe me transforming back. My brain started to clear up and I heard you guys inside the house and I was thinking more like a human than like a wolf. And then, POOF!— back to normal." I went back into the kitchen to grab the pasta bowl to refill my plate.

We went back to eat dinner in silence. When we all finished, Marina picked up her plate and placed it in the sink. "Well, frankly, I don't know what's going to happen. There's never been a case like yours. First of all, a girl with the werewolf gene, possibly triggered but muted by the fact that you're a girl. If that is the case, then that explains your epilepsy. Then, you're bitten by another possible werewolf, either from our world or a werewolf who has become one through their parentage. Either way, you're now a werewolf, and we don't know when you'll transform, whether or not it's voluntary, how your mind works during the transformation, and most importantly, whether or not you're, er, contagious."

"Contagious? Like, bite someone and they're a werewolf? Well that shouldn't be a problem, Bryce never bit anyone that I know of and the only nearby werewolves are the once that have the same genes." I said.

"No, Elizabethe. This is different. You're different. We only have a month to find out, too, before the two of you go to Hogwarts," said Mom.

"The two of us? Wait, what?" I laughed nervously. Okay, now I'm really confused. This is _way_ too much information for my teenage brain to process.

"Elizabethe, look at me. You bit Nick."

* * *

Well, as soon as I heard that, the weight crashed down. Again. I hadn't really thought of that possibility until Marina brought it up. Like I said, Bryce never had any problems with biting people and making _them_ werewolves.

For the next few days, I just stayed in my room, only going out to eat and use the bathroom. Otherwise I just read and sat on my bed and thought about random things, for hours. One day he visited, but I didn't want to talk to him. The second time he visited, I let him come into my room, but I still didn't want to speak to him.

"Hey."

"Don't 'hey' me." I kept my eyes on my book.

A moment of silence. "Well, what do you want me to say?" he asked. I didn't speak. "Look, I don't know what you want, okay? You let me in here so I could talk to you and—,"

"I didn't want to talk to you."

"Then why did you let me in?"

"I don't know."

"If you're not gonna tell me what you're thinking, I'm going back."

"Fine, I'll tell you what I'm thinking," I slammed my book closed and put it on the table. "I am going to be the new kid at Hogwarts, and not just like the first years. Everyone in my year has been at Hogwarts for four years, and I'm going to be new. Not only that, I'm in a totally different country and this is WAY out of my comfort zone. Now I'll have kids telling me I talk funny; it's like do you think I don't know that?" By now I had gotten out of bed and was yelling at him. "Now I have to turn into a werewolf every damn month, what the hell do you think I'm supposed to do?"

"Well you're not the only person with problems! I'm supposed to be Quidditch captain! I have to be able to play in a month! How am I supposed to be able to play with an arm like this? I'm trying to make this last year a good one, now I have to deal with this!"

"I'm going to have to deal with this too, you know!"

"You're not trying to make a professional Quidditch team!"

"I'm sorry I've ruined your life, why don't you get out of mine? I didn't ask for you to help me in the first place!"

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I love writing arguments. well, anyways, any comments or anything are very much welcome.


	6. Chocolate Chip Cookies

hey. i guess it slipped my mind to tell you that i don't own any of this (its rather obvious isn't it? other wise it would probably be an actual book instead of a fanfiction. j. k. rowling doesn't need fanfiction).

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The thing with me is that I can't stay mad at someone. I began to feel bad about yelling at Nick after fuming for a couple hours. Honestly, sometimes I don't know what's wrong with me. Sometimes people irritate me so much but other times I feel I can't live without them. Not that I want to establish that kind of relationship with him. I have lost all hope in teenage romance.

I came over with some cookies I made earlier that day. Cookies just make me feel better. Snickerdoodles are good if you're sad, and butter cookies are good for problems with friends. Chocolate chip is good any time I'm upset. I came over on a Tuesday, while our parents were at work. I didn't want his to see me, because I was afraid they'd be mad if he told them what happened last time.

I knocked timidly. The door opened and Nick stood there.

"Hello. Are you free to talk now?"

Nick stared me down for a second before letting me in and closing the door. I unwrapped the plate of cookies and offered him one before taking one for myself.

"I'm sorry about what I said when you came over. I didn't mean it. I really didn't. I was angry." I paused.

"I know what you mean. I say things I don't mean when I'm angry. I do it a lot too." He took a breath, "I'm sorry for complaining. I know you must be mad at me. It could be worse."

"Yeah, well, at least I have someone going through the same thing now," I sighed.

He nodded. "Would you like some milk?"

"Yeah, why not."

"No problem." I sat down and he handed me a glass of milk.

"Are you excited for Hogwarts?" he asked.

"Mmmm…I think so. I'm also kind of worried. Are you ready to go back?"

"Yes. Gryffindor is going to win the Quidditch Cup this year. I have it all planned out."

"We never played Quidditch at my old school. What is Gryffindor anyways?"

"My house. Dormitories. There are four of them, and then there are different rooms for each year."

"You're going to have to explain all of Hogwarts to me, you know."

"Then I'll do it now; we have the time."

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comments? questions? feedback?

I'm kind of unsure of where I'm going with this story right now. just saying.


	7. Hogwarts

hey. I've really had the time since winter break started a couple days ago to work on this. i dont own anything, if you didn't already know. enjoy.

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"Goodbye Marina; Goodbye Paul. Thank you." I hugged both of them and gave them a kiss on the cheek. We were at Platform 9 ¾ and I was about to leave for my first term at Hogwarts.

"Elizabethe, we have to go, they're leaving in less than a minute!" Nick tugged my sleeve. I hurriedly followed him up the steps and closed the door, Romeo in one arm. As the clock struck eleven, the train started with a jolt and I waved goodbye to my family until I could no longer see them.

I turned back at Nick. "Well, what do we do now?"

"You can sit with me and my friends. We just have to find them first."

I followed him down the aisle of the train until he found his friends. A blond guy with hair just beyond his ears was lying on one side of the compartment. He reminded me of California guys, although I highly doubt he was from there. His head was resting in the lap of brunette with blue eyes, who was unconsciously twirling his hair around her finger. Another girl sat across them, a brunette with pretty green eyes and cornrows. She smiled at Nick for him to sit down.

"I hope you don't mind; I brought my neighbor, Elizabethe, with me. She's a fifth year."

"Hello Elizabethe. I'm Abigail. Or Abby," said the girl with the green eyes.

"Hi Abby. Are you a seventh year too?"

"Yes. I'm in Ravenclaw."

The blond guy sat up momentarily and introduced himself as Evan, then laid back down again.

"I'm Scarlett. Evan and I are seventh-year Gryffindors with Nick."

I closed the compartment door as Nick sat down and let his cat loose. I sat next to him and let Romeo sit in my lap for the rest of the ride. I got to know Nick's friends better, and I really thought that Abby and I would become good friends. Scarlett seemed not-so-nice, but maybe it's just because she was with her boyfriend, who didn't talk much but seemed like a nice guy. After several hours, some Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, several Chocolate Frogs, and a disastrous package of Drooble's Bubble Gum, the sky began to darken. After everyone had changed into their robes, you could begin to see what Nick said was Hogwarts in the distance.

As the train came closer, I could see a large castle looming out of the distance. I could tell from the towers that branched out from the trunk of the castle and the stone bridge that stretched from one hill to another that Hogwarts was very old. I picked up my cat and followed Abby outside, where several horseless carriages waited.

* * *

When we reached the front gates, I could finally see how large Hogwarts was. A Quidditch pitch was off to one side, and a large lake off the other. The lake, a glossy mirror of obsidian reflected the lights from within the castle. A dark forest lay beyond, and in front of it sat a cottage, where I could hear a dog howling inside. Other students who brought cats, frogs, and rats went over to a table by the hedge where they were placing their pets in cages to be brought up to their dorms. Nick and I put Rajah and Romeo in separate cages and labeled them with our names.

A short man stood by the gates, taking roll. Nick and I filed in line behind Abby, Evan, and Scarlett.

"Scarlett Adams."

"Evan Statnoff."

"Abigail Cormwell."

"Nick Holt."

"Elizabethe Moore."

"Elizabethe Moore?" The short man looked up at me. "The Headmistress requested that you stay behind so you may be Sorted into a house with the first years. Until then, you should wait here until I have finished taking roll."

I waved goodbye to Nick and stood behind the wizard until he was finished checking off the rather long list of names. I followed him up to the front doors, and then up the stairs to a group of about forty eleven-year-olds. A tall man with red hair and horn-rimmed glasses was telling them they were about to be sorted into one of four houses: Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, Slytherin, and Hufflepuff. The shorter wizard opened the doors to the dining hall, and the first years followed him in. I stayed behind, unsure of what to do.

"Are you Elizabeth Moore?" the bespectacled man asked.

I nodded.

"Professor Flitwick will call your name when the first years are done being Sorted. Then you may be Sorted into your house. Understand?"

I nodded again.

The dining hall, or the Great Hall, as I was later told, was bewitched to look like the night sky at the top. Hundreds of floating candles shimmered, hovering over the tables. A worn hat was being placed upon each of the students heads, many of which looked as if they were about to pass out. When they were all done, Professor Flitwick called my name and I walked up the stool. The Sorting Hat was placed on my head.

"You've got the brains, and you're very accepting of people…still, there's a darker side to you. You're too quick to anger and blame. You're very witty, and you very easily have the potential, but you don't want to use it. Sometimes you doubt yourself and cut yourself short, but too often you think you can do everything." The voice paused.

I don't know where I was hearing this. Could every one in the Great Hall hear my faults and flaws? Was it whispering in my ear? Or was it speaking in my head? Maybe I was just hearing things, and there actually wasn't anything speaking.

Suddenly, a large voice boomed from the hat, and the same voice that spoke in my head announced my house as it had the other first years.

"Slytherin."

* * *

Ten points to the house of the person able to correctly guess the identity of the Headmistriss.

Another twenty points to the person able to correctly guess who the man lecturing the first years is.

feedback also welcome :)


	8. Slytherin

hey. such a long chapter, but i couldn't find a way to split it up. i don't own any of this, just in case you were wondering.

you know, the only way i'll know if you guys like it is if you review.

* * *

There are four other girls I share a dormitory with. Emma, Harper, Madeline, and Violet. I took the remaining bed. The girl who was there before goes to Durmstrang now. The Slytherin Common Room has this greenish glow, and Emma tells me this is because we're under the Black Lake. Our symbol is a snake, and there are engravings of them everywhere. Our House color is green, too, and someone left me green gloves, a scarf, and a hat. I took my wand out of my pocket and placed it on the nightstand. Someone brought up Romeo, who was now exploring the dorm.

The next morning, I went down to breakfast with the rest of the girls. I didn't speak much. I could tell they were a really close-knit group. They were comparing schedules, which I had arranged with our Head of House last night.

"Elizabethe, can I see your schedule?" Emma asked.

"Sure," I said quietly, as I dug in my bag and handed over the paper.

Violet leaned in "You have Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, Herbology, History of Magic, and Defense Against the Dark Arts with us."

"Of course she does, she's in our House," interjected Harper.

Madeline tried to see the schedule, but she was sitting on the far end from me. "Are you taking Divination?"

"No."

Harper snatched the paper from Emma, "You're taking Runes; I'm taking Runes too!"

"So am I!" said Violet.

"Is anyone in Care of Magical Creatures?" I asked.

"I am!" Madeline turned towards me.

"What's it like?"

"See there?" she pointed up to the professor's table. "That's Professor Hagrid. He teaches Care of Magical Creatures. Sometimes we go into the Forbidden Forest—,"

"Doesn't that defeat the point?"

"I guess, but we don't go very far in anyways."

Emma tapped my shoulder, "Elizabethe, you have Astronomy with me and Violet."

"Are you taking Muggle Studies, Elizabethe? I am," said Harper.

"No, I grew up with Muggles,"

"Makes sense. How about Arithmancy?"

I shook my head. Emma handed back my paper.

"I'm taking Arithmancy with Violet and Harper," said Emma. "It's quite an interesting class."

"I'm not so good with numbers."

"I'm taking Art and Divination," said Madeline.

"Are you familiar with Muggle Music? That's another class I'm taking," said Emma.

"Not very much."

Harper stood up and grabbed her bag. She was a short girl, but she had an amazing presence that grabbed everyone's attention. "You guys, we're going to Transfiguration, aren't we? We'd better get going, I have to grab something down at the dorms."

* * *

As it turns out, I got a ton of homework that day. It's because we're taking our O.W.L.s this year and they want to cram as much information in our brains as possible. A paper from Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, History of Magic, and Astronomy. Not to mention other notes we have to take from the book and the chapters we have to read. I decided to work in the library that night, because I knew I would never get anything done in the Common Room.

The Hogwarts library was _amazing. _My old school library was so much smaller, and so much newer compared to this one. There must have been thousands of books in the Hogwarts library, and such a wide variety too. I grabbed a few books on Greek myths and their influence on constellations for my Astronomy essay.

I heard some laughter behind me and I turned around to see a familiar face. Nick was sitting at a table with Evan, Scarlett, and some other Gryffindors who were laughing at something. As I walked over, Scarlett and Evan saw me and stopped laughing, which of course caused everyone else to become quiet.

"Hey Nick, can I sit with you?"

"Umm…sure," he glanced at his friends, who didn't say anything. I sat down and opened my books to begin my Astronomy essay. The guy that sat across from me, a tall, tough-looking guy, wouldn't stop staring at me. He scared me a great deal. Scarlett, while not as obvious, was also glaring at me with narrowed eyes. I could feel them burning through me as my cheeks and ears got warm. Scarlett began to whisper to Evan, who was nodding and smiling. The other Gryffindor who was sitting there was a tall, thin guy with wiry glasses. He only looked up when I sat down, and continued to write his essay.

After ten excruciating minutes of awkward silence, I decided I had to leave. I knew they weren't talking because of me.

"Nick, I have to go, I forgot that I told Emma I'd help her with the essay. I'm gonna go."

He barely looked up as I gathered my bags and the books, but he waved to me as I left.

* * *

I didn't help Emma with the essay. She didn't ask. I just couldn't stay there. I knew they didn't like me and I still don't know why. I just finished the rest of my homework in the quiet of the dormitory while I heard kids laughing and shrieking in the common room. I thought about it for quite a bit that night, but everything that had happened with me that day had caught up and finally I was exhausted.

* * *

"Abby! Abby!" I yelled in the corridors as I tried to catch up with her. It was a Saturday morning and I was planning to study out in the warmth of the late summer sun. "Abigail! Where are you going?" I saw that she held several Transfiguration books in her arms. "Are you going outside to study?  
"Yes. Would you like to come with me?"

"That's just what I was going to do."

"Perhaps we can find Scarlett and everyone else."

"Mm."

We walked out the doors and out by the lake, where there were already many students. Abby found Scarlett and the rest of the Gryffindors, minus Nick and the tough-looking guy from the library. Another girl with a Hufflepuff scarf and curly red hair was with them, chatting to the guy with wiry glasses. They greeted Abby as we sat down, and Evan gave a friendly nod in my direction.

Abby introduced me, "Elizabethe, this is Ava Cabinota, she's in Hufflepuff. And this is Andrew Aschtonberg, he's in Gryffindor…_and_ he's Head Boy." He smiled at Abby.

"Nice to meet you Elizabethe, what year are you in?" said Ava.

"Fifth. I'm the new one, I got Sorted last night."

"Ah, yes. I remember. I'm a sixth year. What do you think of Hogwarts so far?"

"It's so much bigger than my old school. And there's much more homework, but they say its because of our O.W.L. year. Your library is amazing, and you play Quidditch here too! We never played at our school, which was much more compact and newer."

"Where did you go to school?" asked Andrew.

"I first went to one in Salem, Massachusetts. But then I went to one in Salem Oregon, which was closer to my home."

"And that's in the U.S., right?" said Ava.

"Where did you originally live?" asked Andrew.

"In Alaska. It was a small town."

Ava smiled, "I knew you weren't from around here, your accent gave you away."

Andrew chuckled, "What's Alaska like? Actually, what's America like?"

"Well, Alaska isn't one of the main forty-eight states. Alaska and Hawaii aren't attached. Hawaii is out in the middle of the Pacific and Alaska is on the northwest end of Canada. By sea, its really close to Russia," Andrew nodded. "I haven't really been to the main states much, only my schools in Oregon and Massachusetts. But I've been all around Alaska. It's the biggest state in the U.S., but it's mostly wilderness and snow."

"How much snow?" Ava asked.

"Lots of it. I don't know how much you get here, but most likely a lot more. But being so far north is worth it, because near the spring and fall equinox, you can see the most amazing green lights. They're called Aurora Borealis, and my aunt said it was because of Earth's magnetic field."

"Cool," Andrew's attention returned to a book.

I opened my Transfiguration textbook and began to read the chapter. I decided I would read now and take notes later. After a while I realized that Scarlett and Evan had left.

"Abby, where's Evan and Scarlett?" I asked.

"If I'm correct, Evan has decided that Quidditch practice is more important than being kicked off the team," Abby looked up from her text book. "He's always ditching, and Nick threatens to kick him off, but he never does, because Evan comes to practice partway through. Evans too indecisive and has too much of a conscience to do anything like that."

"Where's Scarlett?"

"Who knows."

When I finished reading my two chapters out of the Transfiguration textbook, I had to go up to the dorms to finish the notes. I gathered up my materials and walked inside the castle, where I immediately came across the Bloody Baron. Making sure not to step through him, I gave him a friendly nod. A large group of Gryffindors with practice robes and broomsticks in their hands was in front of me, and I knew Nick would be in there.

"Nick!"

He turned around and acknowledged me, only to continue walking with his friends. I ran and caught up with him, "Nick! How was Qui—,"

"Not now!"

He continued with the team, some of whom gave me a dirty look as I descended the stairs to the Common Room.

* * *

Later that night, after I had finished most of my homework, I was lying on my bed, levitating objects and making them fly across the room. Madeline was lying on her stomach on the bed, engrossed in a book. I made a stuffed unicorn that was lying on her bed float in front of her face, and dropped it on her book, making her jump.

"Elizabethe!"

"Sorry Maddy," I giggled. "Do you know where the Gryffindor Common Room is?"

"Noo…not really. Why?"

"I wanted to talk to someone before dinner."

"I think Violet knows."

"Do you know where she is?" I asked.

"I think she's downstairs, otherwise I don't know where she is."

"Thanks, Maddy." I put my wand in my pocket and was about to go.

"Don't call me that."

* * *

Violet led me to a kind of large tower with moving staircases and portraits and paintings everywhere. I told Violet she could go down to dinner, and I waited on the steps outside a painting of a rather large woman. Every few minutes some students emerged from the portrait hole and went down the stairs towards the Great Hall. After at least ten minutes, Evan and Scarlett came out, followed by Nick. They didn't see me, but Nick turned around when I sent a small Zapping spell that hit him in the shoulder.

"What was that?" he rubbed his shoulder.

"Zapping spell. I learned it back in Massachusetts. It's not too powerful, but it gets your attention and I'm rather good at it."

"You know, you're not supposed to do magic in the hallways," he warned.

"I know."

"How'd you even know where our Common Room is?"

"I know people. We Slytherins know more than you think."

He stopped and glared at me intensely. I suddenly felt more anger than I had before. "Why'd you come up here?"

"Why have you been ignoring me?" I answered.

He spun around and kept walking. "Don't act like I didn't notice," I said menacingly, or so I hoped. "We spent half the summer together, now I come here and you don't want to talk to me? What could I possibly have done here that would make you want to ignore me?" He didn't respond, so I kept going. "Look," I shoved him slightly, and he stopped, so I looked him in the eye. "I'm not going to stop until you give me an answer."

"My friends don't like you," he mumbled

"A _reasonable_ answer. Who?" He shook his head. "Fine then. Why don't they like me?"

"You're in Slytherin." As if that were a good enough answer.

"Excuse me? What's so bad about Slytherin?" I put my hand on my hip.

"Haven't you ever heard about You-Know-Who? He was in Slytherin! Slytherins have been known to meddle in Dark Magic, and most Dark wizards came from that house! It was mainly them who killed those Muggles!"

"Do I look like I'd kill Muggles? I've grown up with them! That was years ago, Nick, don't you think Slytherins have changed?"

"Besides," Nick added, ignoring my question and turning into the Great Hall, "Gryffindors and Slytherins have had a rivalry since the founding of the school. They don't want to associate with your type, and I don't think I do either."

I watched him walk down to the Gryffindor table and sit down with his friends. I stood at the doors for a minute before stomping my foot angrily and marching down to my table.

* * *

so i hoped you liked it. if you like it, please review. if you don't, can you review anyways (possibly with suggestions? i might take them)?

you guys make me really anxious when i don't get feedback. :|


	9. Midnight Therapy

hey everybody! Happy Holidays! I'll be uploading this today, and I might not get another chance to write today or tomorrow. So I'll be writing more after Christmas. But I'll have family over so I might not get a lot done. plus some homework I've gotten that I haven't started because I've been writing. so I hope you guys enjoy this one. also, i don't own any of this.

* * *

Life's an effing bitch. Auntie Max would never let me say anything like that. Oh gosh, I miss her so much right now. Thinking about her makes it hurt more. She wouldn't tolerate any of this rivalry crap. Just imagining what she would say made me sad, and as I thought of what she and my cousins were doing now, a tear rolled down my cheek.

Memories of my former life flooded back, and I coughed and choked as I tried to keep my sobs quiet. It was around eleven on Saturday and the rest of the girls in my dorm were asleep. I didn't want to wake them up, so I crept out of bed and down into the cold of the Common Room, bringing a blanket with me. I sat down in a couch by the fire and tried to stop crying. I don't cry a lot, so crying like this scared me even more, and the sobs came harder.

Eventually, it stopped, but I could feel the tear tracks on my face and I still shuddered when I breathed in and out, the way I do when I cry. I stared into the fire for a while, until I heard a creak from the stairs behind me. I snapped out of it and stood up.

A guy my age was standing at the stairs of the boys' dormitory. He had dark hair that was an inch above his shoulders, but it wasn't as unkempt and windswept as Evan's. He was in my year, I'm sure, and I think his name is Chase.

I sniffled. "Oh. Don't mind me." My voice was hoarse and I shuddered when I breathed in.

He stood there. I sat down again. I was surprised when he sat down in a chair next to the sofa I was sitting on.

"Don't worry, I was just about to wreak some havoc out in the corridors."

I nodded and sniffled again.

"Is there something wrong?"

I shook my head.

"You know, people usually cry when they're upset," he leaned back and the chair reclined. "Do you want to talk about it? Should make you feel better, shouldn't it?"

I shrugged. "What if we're part of the problem?"

"What do you mean?" Chase asked.

"I don't want to be in Slytherin."

"Well, you can't really change that," he said matter-of-factly.

"I don't want to be here."

"I could say the same thing."

"You don't understand.

"You're not helping me understand," he smiled roguishly. I could tell this guy was a wild one, most likely a trouble maker.

I sighed. "My friend won't talk to me anymore because I got Sorted into Slytherin. I guess you could say he's my best friend, since he was my neighbor and I've only been at Hogwarts for a week. But now I want to go back home."

"Is that it? Really? We're not that bad," he paused, "Well maybe I am. But not in the typical Slytherin way."

"His friends don't like me. The ones that are in Gryffindor."

"Is he in Gryffindor?"

"Yes. He told me that we're supposed to be rivals. We didn't have any rivalries at my old school," I sniffled.

"That was _before _You-Know-Who died. Honestly, some people are so old fashioned its crazy. Slytherin doesn't stand for the pure-blood nonsense anymore—,"

"That's what Slytherin is famous for?" I asked incredulously, "Well then no wonder they all supported You-Know-Who."

"That was in the past though. Now we're known for being sly and witty. And incredibly social."

"Tell that to my friend."

"That can be arranged," he gave another roguish smile.

* * *

Chase is supposed to look like a young Ben Barnes, aka Prince Caspian from Narnia. love him.

if you guys have a fanfiction account, could you please, please, please review? I'm not sure whether you guys like the story. review button is down and to slightly to the left.


	10. Next Saturday

sorry this chapter is rather short. and very slow. its more filler than anything else. stay tuned for the next one, should be up soon.

* * *

I woke up early Sunday morning and continued my Astronomy homework. As I searched through a chart of the moon's waxing and waning, I remembered what would happen to me during the middle of the cycle. Damn.

I decided that after breakfast I would go up to the headmistress' office and ask Professor McGonagall what to do. I'm sure Marina would have sent her an owl regarding what to do with me at the full moon. So I finished the rest of my Astronomy and went down to the Great Hall.

Everyone except Violet was already there, and I had no idea where she was. I sat down and poured myself a goblet of pumpkin juice.

"Do you know where Violet is?" asked Harper

"No idea."

Suddenly, I felt a presence behind me, and I looked back.

"Chase."

He sat to my left, then leaned over and whispered in my ear, "Feeling better, I see?" I nodded.

* * *

After breakfast I went to the headmistress' office. She told me to go see Professor Weasley, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

I knocked on the heavy wooden door to his office.

"Come in." I opened the door and walked in. His office was roomy, with sunlight streaming in and pictures of several people on the wall, most of them with the same red hair he had.

"Miss Moore."

"Professor Weasley, I went to Professor McGonagall this morning for some help on something, and she referred me here. I'm sure my mom wrote a letter to the school, and I don't know if you remember it."

He shook his head. I then held out my left hand, palm down, where there was a bite mark on the back of my hand, a reminder of what had happened this summer. He pulled my hand under the desk lamp and clicked it on, then took off his glasses to better see the scar.

"Yes. I remember now. Do you know Nick Holt? He came in here for the same thing yesterday."

"Yeah. The full moon is next Saturday."

"Well, I would suggest Wolfsbane Potion as I did him, but the letter said that didn't work, am I correct?"

I nodded. "We think it didn't work because I'm from Alaska. There, some of the Inuits like my cousin can phase into a werewolf. But it's not a full moon thing. It's just a genetic thing. We thought I had it too, but it turned out to be just epilepsy."

"I've read that epilepsy is considered the mark of a werewolf in some cultures, have you considered that?"

I shook my head.

"Well since you can't take Wolfsbane potion, I think we'll have to resort to a more old-fashioned way of dealing with this."

* * *

Chase sat next to me at lunch again too, and afterwards we went down by the Black Lake to brainstorm.

"We can't pull a prank on just him. If it's too personal he'll know it's me," I said.

"Yeah, I've thought of that. I just have to think of something new."

"Shouldn't be too hard, would it? I mean, you're good at these things, aren't you?"

"Yeah…but I want to think of something new…something no one has done yet." He picked up a flat stone off the shore and skipped it on the lake, bouncing three times before it sunk into the darkness.

* * *

um, yeah. not such a great chapter.


	11. Transform

another chapter. not so great, again. -sighs- I dont own this. I hope you know that by now.

* * *

Today is the big day. Well, night I guess. I've been antsy all morning, but I know the full moon won't show itself until after dark. Professor Weasley told me to meet him in his office after lunch. I heard voices inside when I came up to the door. When I knocked, he let me in.

He was talking to Nick. I guess he had to come too, didn't he?

"Do you remember the plan?" Professor Weasley asked. Nick and I nodded. "You've been taking your potion every day, right?" he directed this at Nick, who nodded again.

"Now if you'll follow me," said Professor Weasley. I picked up a bag full of a spare set of clothes, a book, a blanket, and some snacks I had brought with me. He placed a Disillusionment Charm on me and Nick, who had brought a similar bag, and we followed him down to the grounds, where a giant willow tree rested. Occasionally, it would snap at a bug, but it was otherwise peaceful. Until we came.

It must have felt the vibrations from our footsteps coming too near. Branches ripped through empty air, leaves flying, but Professor Weasley stopped us a short distance.

"I'm going to immobilize the Whomping Willow first. Then you two must slip into that hole, right underneath the knot on the trunk. The passageway is small and cramped, but keep going until you reach the Shrieking Shack. I'll be right behind you. Ready? Immobulus!" he shouted.

The Whomping Willow froze, and I ran forward, dropping easily down the hole. I heard Nick drop in after me, and I sprinted. I had natural speed; I could easily keep up with my cousin Bryce in Alaska. I had to crouch in the passage, and my back started aching after about five minutes, but I finally reached some rickety wooden steps after about twenty minutes. I climbed up and inside what must have been the Shrieking Shack. It was dry and musty, and everything was in shades of dull brown and gray. I waited a few more minutes for Nick to emerge, then Professor Weasley, who lifted our Disillusionment Charm.

"Alright, you two will stay here until after the full moon sets and you are done phasing. Until then…act civil." Professor Weasley put a Disillusionment Charm on himself and stepped down into the hole and back the passageway to Hogwarts.

I sighed, grabbed my bag, and went to an upstairs bedroom. I wanted to be alone. Nick's presence made the idea of phasing all the worse. I read until about six, when it started to get dark, then I went back downstairs again, where Nick was sitting in a green chair covered in so much dust it looked gray.

Being alone with him made me angry. I kinda wanted to punch him for being such an ass. Instead I clenched my fists behind my back and rocked back and forth on my feet, causing the wood floor to creak. Nick looked back and his eyes flashed with annoyance, similar to how they flashed with anger last week. Our conversation quickly ran through my head:

"_Excuse me? What's so bad about Slytherin?"_

_"Haven't you ever heard about You-Know-Who? He was in Slytherin! Slytherins have been known to meddle in Dark Magic, and most Dark wizards came from that house! It was mainly them who killed those Muggles!"_

_"Do I look like I'd kill Muggles? I've grown up with them! That was years ago, Nick, don't you think Slytherins have changed?"_

_"Besides, Gryffindors and Slytherins have had a rivalry since the founding of the school. They don't want to associate with your type, and I don't think I do either."_

My nails were digging into my palms, and I found myself biting my tongue to hold myself back.

"You asshole…" I stepped forward and I was about to tell him what I thought of him. Instead I started to feel disoriented and I tripped, falling behind another chair. Objects in front of me became distorted, and I smelled burning rubber. As my vision darkened, bright spots and zigzags appeared. I heard a ripping sound and saw my clothes had shredded behind me as I grew taller. I could barely see my nose elongate in front of me, and suddenly I could see much clearer, despite the darkness from outside. Nick stared at me, his eyes wide and eyebrows raised. I stepped forward again and was about to tell him how much I hated him, but all that came out was a deep growl. I realized that I must have phased. He stood up and started backing away slowly, and I could feel his terror. I ran to the larger upstairs bedroom where I was earlier, shoved the curtain to the side with my nose, and looked out the window. The sky was only just getting dark, and I could see no moon. I did the same at each window of the house, but I couldn't find the moon. When Nick understood what I was doing, he unlocked the back door and walked out into the yard.

"I don't see it," he walked back in and locked the door, "That's strange."

I went upstairs again, and just sat on the floor to think. When I calmed down half an hour later, I felt myself shrinking and turning back to a human. I dressed and then went downstairs.

"Hey. I'm fine now, you don't have to worry," I said. Nick looked at me, nodded, then returned back to his book. I returned to the bedroom upstairs and read by wand light for another two hours. Until I heard banging sounds from downstairs.

I ran down the stairs and almost tripped and broke my neck. A creature that was hunched in the far corner whipped back. It had a head that was more like a dog, and it was gray and had very little fur. The creature was very human-like in stance, but it was still somewhat canine. I could tell it did not have a human mind, for its eyes were cold and hard.

It growled, and I could see its sharp canine teeth. I shrieked as it advanced, and I ran upstairs with the beast following behind me. I turned right into the bathroom, and shut the door behind me. I knew it wouldn't hold forever, but it was good enough for now.

I heard scratching and clawing on the wood, and the creature growled again. It howled, and I jumped behind the shower curtain.

My nose filled with the smell of burning rubber again, and the spots and zigzags and darkness and distortion returned. _Not now_, I thought. I struggled to concentrate as I took off my spare set of clothes, hands trembling. I thought I wouldn't make it in time, but I threw my clothes on the counter just as the creature outside howled again and I phased into my wolf form. I burst through the door and sent the other creature spinning to the other side of the room. It got up and started growling at me, but I held my ground. I growled back and I felt the fur on my back start to raise territorially. The other werewolf got the message, and slunk back downstairs.

That night, I didn't sleep much. I didn't want to phase back into a human until the other werewolf had phased back, and instead I just sat there on the floor, thinking.

Maybe I don't need the full moon to phase after all. Maybe it's just easier around that time.

* * *

yeah, not so great. hope you'll review though.


	12. A Fanged Frisbee

Since i've procrastinated on my hw so much over break, i've had to do it all within the last week, so i won't be doing it all the last day. after this expect fewer updates, because i will have a lot of work when i get back to school (finals yay!). my new years resolution is to stop using facebook so much and to write more in that time instead. seems reasonable.

* * *

"Don't do that Harper, let her sleep."

The nose-pinching continued. If you haven't tried it, it's quite hard to sleep with someone pinching your nose. I rolled onto my face, but Harper continued poking my ribcage. I steadily became more awake, so I rolled onto my back again and stared at Harper.

"Dude, stop. I'm awake."

"Finally," she rolled her eyes. "It's almost lunchtime. How late were you out last night? I haven't seen you since lunch yesterday."

I didn't answer. I came back silently with Nick at around four in the morning. I was dead tired because I didn't sleep at all until then, even though I know Wolfsbane potion makes him harmless. It's quite unnerving still.

"Lemme get dressed, I'll meet you and Emma downstairs."

* * *

Just being in the Great Hall makes me hungry. Unbelievably hungry. I could smell it all. I was starting to shake, and my stomach felt so empty that I felt like I would throw up. I sat down with Emma and Harper, and grabbed a sandwich from the nearest platter. I didn't even care that it was ham, my least favorite. Oh my gosh, that is soo much better. I downed a whole goblet of orange juice in about ten seconds too, then another. Only after I had eaten some salad and then another sandwich was I somewhat satisfied. This happened to Bryce too; he came back some days and would just eat whatever you put in front of him. Sometimes his werewolf buddies came over too and they did the same thing.

Despite the amount of food I had eaten, I had eaten fast and was finished before the rest of my friends. I walked back down to the Common Room to finish my homework. I started with a translation for Ancient Runes. It turned out to be an article about the history of Quidditch. Then I wrote an essay on the making, ingredients, properties, and use of the Befuddlement Draught. I then started a research for a paper on the Chinese Chomping Cabbage and similar plants for Herbology when I was interrupted.

"Didn't see you at breakfast this morning, did I?"

I turned around and Chase was standing behind the chair I was sitting in. "No, I was, um, sleeping. I was out late last night."

"Out late at night without me? I thought you were supposed to be my accomplice? Aren't you supposed to tell me when you're up to something?" He joked. I laughed, but he paused, then his face darkened when he added an afterthought, "Who were you out with last night?"

Surprised, I sat up straighter, "Me? I wasn't with anyone last night," I lied. Well I'm not sure if it was a lie, because I wasn't with anyone in the way I'm sure he was thinking, but I technically was with someone last night. But I couldn't tell him what happened, so I just said I wasn't with anyone.

"Why are you still inside today? Wouldn't you rather be out?" Chase asked me.

"Yes, but I've got to finish some of my homework. I did some yesterday and Friday but I didn't finish it all."

"You have time tonight, come outside and play some Frisbee with me. I got a new one over the summer."

"Don't you have any homework of your own?"

"That's what night is for."

"I can't though. I have to finish this."

"Take it outside and finish it. I'll bring my Frisbee and we can play after," he insisted.

"You know, this isn't the only thing left I have to do. I still have a sketch for Care of Magical Creatures and an essay for History of Magic."

"Take that out too. I'll take my stuff out and we can do it together. But you owe me a game of Frisbee."

"Why do I owe you a game of Frisbee? I've known you for, like, a week."

"Because I said so," he thought more, "because I'm supposed to help you pull a prank on your friend."

"Fine. I know I won't win this argument, but you have to take your homework down to the grounds too and we'll do it together."

I gathered up my books and my supplies. We only brought one set of books down since we would both be doing the same assignment.

"Would you like me to carry your books?" Chase asked. I was carrying them outside my bag because they wouldn't all fit.

"I can carry them, but thank you for the offer."

"Really," he stretched his arms to take the textbooks from me, "I can carry them. It's no problem for me, and it's making me look bad."

I stopped and looked at him intensely, "Really. You actually care about looking bad, for once. I thought you were a troublemaker." I handed him my books and continued down to the lake.

"Not right now, I'm not."

"Really," I said unbelievingly.

"I'm a troublemaker when I feel like it. Not all the time. Just when I say so."

I knew he was the ultimate Rum Tum Tugger. A tomcat. The boss of himself, no one can tell him what to do.

* * *

I sat down by a tree near the Black Lake. "First I'll finish my homework. Then we play Frisbee."

I continued my essay on the Chinese Chomping Cabbage, then started my sketch for Care of Magical Creatures. I had to help Chase with the Herbology essay while I drew, so it took longer than it should have. He finished by the time I started labeling it, and then started drawing, which didn't take as long as it did me. We then did our History of Magic essay together, perhaps the most boring of all. We finished around 3:45.

Chase took out a new Fanged Frisbee from his bag. "I got this from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes over the summer. I had to hide it from my parents, because, well…you get the idea."

"Oh, I know what these are. I haven't actually played with one, but some guys at our school had them when I was in Massachusetts. Then they banned them, because they got loose and shredded up some examination papers."

Chase tossed me a pair of thick leather gloves, "Put these on." He took out another pair and put then on too.

"Are their Fangs really that sharp?"

"Here," he handed me the Frisbee. It had green scales like a reptile and sharp teeth along the circumference. I ran my finger, glove on, along the teeth. Even through the glove, I could tell they were pointed and were rough and jagged like a shark, and would cause one heck of a scratch if I weren't wearing gloves. I handed it back to him.

Chase backed up, "Here's how you hold it." He brought his right arm forward, slightly bent, then bent his wrist in while still holding the Frisbee horizontically flat. "Then you whip your wrist out, and make sure you release it when it's flat rather than tilted. If it's tilted it'll curve." Chase then threw the Frisbee, and it came flying at my face, fangs and all. I shrieked and ducked, letting it fall on the grass behind me. I picked it up carefully, and threw it back. It wobbled on its journey over and started falling, but he caught it easily, "You have to be careful of the fangs when you catch it. Like I just did."

We played for a while longer, and after several times of getting it caught in the nearby tree I had finally thrown it into the lake, and had to Summon it out. I sat down and took my gloves off, then handed them back to Chase. We were sitting under the tree again, looking down at the grounds. "I guess that was better than staying inside all day, but I'm not sure your Frisbee would agree."

"It'll be fine. Although next time I don't think we should be so close to the lake."

"Who says there will be a next time?" I questioned him. He raised his eyebrow, "Don't worry, I'm just kidding."

"Yeah, I knew you just couldn't resist me," he smirked.

"You've got such a big ego," I pushed him playfully on the shoulder.

"Not as much as you'd think, no." He sat up straighter and looked at me. "Not to change the subject or anything, but I think I know what we can do to get back at your friend."

"I'm listening."

"I'm not entirely sure how we would get in there…or how we would even pull it off…but maybe we could maybe make it rain in the Gryffindor common room. Or maybe just the boys dormitories." His eyes lit up with boyish delight, full of troublemaking thoughts.

I laughed. "Chase, you are the funniest guy I've ever met." I stopped laughing and stared at him. "That is the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard, but I'll give you credit for trying." I chuckled again.

"I think it's a good idea…but maybe not my best," he smiled as he gazed out over the lake.

"I'm not saying it's a bad idea…I just don't think I want to do that." He nodded silently, and I wrung my hands at what I was about to tell him next.

"So what do you want to do anyways?"

"I don't know…" I hesitated before telling him next. "I don't think I want to do this anymore."

"Really?" he asked incredulously. I couldn't tell if he was upset or not. "Why not?"

I didn't look at him. I stared absently into the Forbidden Forest. "I don't know…I was kind of mad last week, I just realized…I just realized it's not very me to do that. I'm just not that kind of person. Maybe you are, maybe I am with you, but I just normally wouldn't do that."

"Oh." He leaned back against the tree. We didn't talk much after that.

It's true that it's not very much like myself to do something like that, even if someone _did_ judge me because of what house I'm in. I try to let things like this go, even if it kills me inside, but sometimes I can't stop thinking about it, however trivial it is.

But the reason why I didn't want to do something like that to Nick is because of last night. Seeing him so helpless last night makes me feel like I shouldn't be so hard on him, even if it's just in my head. Or playing a prank on him. I feel kind of sorry about what I did to him, because now he has to deal with it just as I do. And seeing him, and how awful he looked last night, made me pity him. It's extremely hard to explain how I'm feeling, but to see someone so vulnerable like that makes me think differently about them.

* * *

so after this i won't be putting chapters up as frequently. i'm kind of stuck also, because i don't know whats going to happen now.

comments/criticism/feedback/suggestions are most welcome. have a Happy New Year, may you have a wonderful year.


	13. Quidditch

3 weeks later, and I've gotten another chapter up. I'd say that's a personal best, during the school year. anyways, hope you like it. i don't own any of this.

* * *

That following week, the energy between the Houses elevated and by Friday night, all the students were buzzing with excitement. Except for me and some first years. Finally, on Friday night, I learned what was going on. There was a Quidditch game between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor the next day.

On Saturday morning, everyone was excited for the game, which was at ten. Over breakfast, some guys in my house were making bets on who would win, and I heard Chase put 2 Galleons on Ravenclaw. Damn.

"Who do you want to win?" Madeline snapped me out of my trance.

"Umm…Ravenclaw, I guess?"

"Sweet," Emma high-fived me.

"You guys suck, I'm for Gryffindor," said Harper.

"Are you kidding me? Seriously? Gryffindor isn't all _that_ great," Madeline rolled her eyes.

"They may not be as great as we are, but they sure are better than Ravenclaw," said Violet.

"What? No. I've been here less than a month and I already know that Ravenclaw is better than Gryffindor," I said jokingly.

"See, even Miss America knows what's good here," Emma waved her fork around.

* * *

"Abby! Abby!" I ran down the staircase in the entrance hall, where the whole school was filing out onto the grounds towards the Quidditch pitch. I recognized her dark hair from the back and the certain way she walked down the stairs. I called again, and this time she turned around. She smiled, "I haven't talked to you in a while, Elizabethe. Where've you been hiding?"

"Meh," I shrugged, "Not much, I guess. You know how fifth year is, wouldn't you?"

"Very well. I think I started to develop a nervous twitch before the Christmas break. Very much like this year, in fact, although it might be sooner before the twitch comes back."

I groaned.

We walked out into the chilly morning sunshine, a hint of crispy autumn in the air. What was today? Surely it was almost the equinox. I made a mental note to check if one could see the Northern Lights at this latitude.

I was walking with several other Ravenclaws, seventh years, I assume. They carried Omnioculars, banners, flags, and other Ravenclaw items.

"You're rooting for us, I hope?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Not much else to root for right now." I shrugged.

"Well, at least you've got your head screwed on right."

* * *

I left Abby and her Ravenclaw buddies at the base of their tower, and then ascended the Slytherin tower to our stands. Arriving at the top, I realized that most everyone had found a seat, and by the time I located my roommates among the crowd, there weren't any empty seats next to them. I continued to stand there, scanning the stands for a place to sit, when I saw Chase's face in the back row. I wasn't too eager to sit in the back, where there was a possibility I couldn't see the match, but if Chase was back there, I'm there.

"Thanks for saving a seat for me. All," I paused, "sixteen of them."

"Seventeen," He looked me in the eye and smiled, "There's seventeen."

"Well, Mr. Smarty Pants. If you say so." I sat down.

"You'd better be rooting for Ravenclaw, or I might have to never speak to you again."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that. Ravenclaw all the way."

"I knew you would. I know you."

"You know me? I just barely met you!" I said jokingly, "You hardly even know where I come from! You don't even know my real name."

"You come from America, that's good enough for me. And if you wouldn't mind telling me, I'd love to know your real name."

"Not until later. Not like you're not important or anything, but no one knows it right now."

I don't often feel comfortable telling people my real name; my birth name, because then I feel exposed, as if I were on standing on the frozen ground that makes up most of Alaska, in high winds, wearing a sweatshirt and shorts. Of course, everybody in our community knows my real name, because_ everyone_ knows everyone else, and they're all just like me; they live in a small town in the middle of nowhere and they all have an Inuit name like me. But there it's no big deal. Of my friends who don't live in that town, there are only a few that know my real name, and it's because I feel that they are close enough to be comfortable with the other side of me; the other life that I was born and raised in as a child until I learned magic.

"Don't worry, I pry it out of you someday," Chase smirked.

"I'd like to see you try," I said mockingly.

Down below, on the field, seven players from each team filed out and took off for a warm-up lap. Two on each team held short bat-like objects made of wood, and I could see Evan was one of them. Early morning sunlight hit his tousled hair nicely, and I could see the fine structure of his jaw as the light hit it at a flattering perspective. He squinted up at the crowds. I spotted Nick too; he landed in the center of the circle after the warm-up lap while the rest of the team lined up around the circumference. He shook hands with the Ravenclaw before the referee opened a trunk and four balls darted out. One flew at least twenty feet in the air—I remember Nick had told me over the summer that this big red-brown one was the one he scored in the three hoops at the end of the field—two smaller balls whizzed around the field, and the fourth one, a tiny golden thing—the Snitch— disappeared as soon as it was released. All fourteen players and the referee then took off and waited for the whistle to be blown before several players flew in for the Quaffle.

Quidditch is a very fast-paced game, and the Quaffle was constantly being dropped, thrown, caught, and saved from passing through the loops at either end of the field. It was hard to keep up with at first, and with the commentator shouting, spectators booing and cheering, and the occasional run-in with a Bludger was almost too much for me to handle. I don't like loud places all that much. Alaska is always quiet, especially when you lay out in the snow, breathing but not moving otherwise. Snow muffles all auditory and almost all visual signs of life.

I recognized two boys from our year on Ravenclaw, Brendan and Kasper. Kasper was playing Keeper. I wasn't so sure of what I thought of him. I initially thought he wasn't such a nice guy when he made a snotty comment in Transfiguration, but he doesn't talk much and I've never actually conversed with him. I honestly think he doesn't look like such a great guy. But he played well.

Brendan, on the other hand, was rather loud, although our teachers never had to tell him to shut up. Just outside of the classroom he was talkative, and his presence always left everyone in a slightly better mood. Occasionally he would slip the occasional joke here and there in class but the teachers seemed to love him. He was so confident, always smiling this dazzling smile, Brendan always looked a bit of a ladies man to me. He hung out with anyone and everyone, and they all liked him. I don't know how he does it, but he does. He was a rather good Chaser too.

The crowd roared when Kasper let in the Quaffle, but I didn't see who scored.

I nudged Chase with my elbow. "Who scored?"

"That one there, with the blond hair. Dull blond." He pointed at a Gryffidor Chaser, but they were zooming around too quick for me to spot who it was.

"Where?"

"Short hair, number 9."

It took me another minute, but I realized it was Nick. "Hey, I know him. That's the one, Chase, that's the one that scored! Dickhead," I muttered.

"I don't like him; he looks too serious."

"He's the captain of the team you know. He's planning on winning championships this year."

"Hell no. We're not gonna let that happen, are we?"

"Of course not, what kind of Slytherins would we be then?" I leaned against him.

"You've learned well, young grasshopper." Chase wrapped his arm around my shoulder, making me feel uncomfortable, yet I made no move to fix it. I could smell his wavy hair as it curled off behind his ears.

"Your hair smells good." I said, which was maybe not the best thing to say.

"Thank you."

"I can't really pin down what it smells like. Most certainly not like my hair. Not floral, or fruity, or tropical or wintery…." I trailed off.

He nestled his nose in my hair. "Your hair smells like coconut. When's the last time you've had a coconut? Surely they don't grow in Alaska?"

"No more than they do here. I picked it up in the store on accident, and I've become rather fond of it. It's so happy and tropical and sunny. Alaska smells like sea or evergreen or just clean fresh air, depending where you are. It's cold and it hurts your nose in the winter."

"Sounds nice."

"Quite."

After that we fell back and continued watching the game. Ravenclaw had scored another goal, and then two more afterwards. They were putting up a pretty good defense, despite the first goal made by Gryffindor. The Snitch appeared several times, and of course the crowd went crazy when it did, but neither Seeker was able to catch it. Finally, when the score was 30-20 Ravenclaw, the Snitch appeared for a final time. The Gryffindor Seeker spotted it first from the opposite side of the field where we were. It was at the end of the field that Gryffindor's own team was defending, and he rushed towards the Snitch. Ravenclaw's Seeker saw the other make a move towards the Snitch, and raced towards the goalpost, around which it was darting. Gryffindor almost ran into the Quaffle, and Evan directed the Bludger at Ravenclaw, which barely, barely missed. Ravenclaw had to swoop down to avoid it, and made a steep climb from the bottom of the pitch. Still, Gryffindor was ahead, and caught it right before Ravenclaw rocketed up from underneath. It looked kinda cool, but I'm surprised he didn't fall off. The crowd roared, especially Gryffindor. I groaned and facepalmed.

Chase swore. "Well, there goes my two Galleons."

"Let's go, before I have to see their touchdown dance." My face was hidden behind my hands and I slumped back in my seat.

"Touchdown dance?"

"You British wouldn't understand. Let's go."

I grabbed Chase's hand and dragged him down the stands to the stairs before everyone could get up. I caught a glimpse of Nick landing by his Seeker and clapping him on the back. He raised his Seeker's arm in the air, the one with the Snitch still wriggling between his fingers, and the Gryffindor side gave a big to-do about it.

Chase and I ducked into the dark heat of the stairwell and rushed down into the sunlight. We ran towards the castle doors. "Why are we running?" Chase asked.

"I don't know, why are we running?"

We continued inside the castle doors. Everybody was still back at the Quidditch pitch. The Entrance Hall was eerily quiet, and we descended to our common room.

"I still can't believe Gryffindor won. Ravenclaw totally had that," Chase groaned. We entered the Common Room and Chase plopped down on one of the squishy sofas. "And now I've lost my Galleons." I sat down next to Chase and leaned into him.

"Don't worry, it's not such a big deal."

* * *

um, yeah. I'm hoping you'll like it and review/subscribe. I'm having finals soon, so I might not be able to get as much writing done. good thing is, i've been able to manage my time really well this past week (as in, barely any facebooking) so yes, i will be able to make time to write a little every night.

Also, check out "Why Did You Name Me Nymphadora?" and "Year One". The former is a Percy Jackson/HP crossover about how Nymphadora Tonks got her name, and the latter is about the life of the Potters before Lily and James were murdered by Voldemort. They're both on my profile, and I'd have to say those are much better than this one (also, I don't really know where I'm going with this story, so suggestions would help). Good night!


	14. Least Expected

so I've actually written this a long time ago, over the holidays, but i wasn't ready to put it up yet. now, i've decided that it is appropriate to put it in. i hope you guys like it.

oh yes, and shout out to bananafreak97! am i allowed to do that? well, thank you, because without your help this chapter would not have been made possible.

* * *

Remember when I said "I have lost all hope in teenage romance"?

I now shall erase that from the record.

It's so amazing how the people you least expect make the most impact on your life. You know what I mean. I didn't think that I would ever think of me and him in a relationship— other than friends, that is. It's quite confusing to explain it, but it seemed that he liked me first, and the thought briefly ran through my head. I dismissed it, because I was still a non-believer of teenage romance; I knew it would never work. But I kept talking and talking to him— and he's quite easy to talk to, for that matter— and that thought kept running through my mind, and eventually I couldn't get it out. I keep seeing him and me together even though I know it'll never work out and I'm probably tricking my mind into thinking that he even liked me in the first place.

I didn't even single him out as a terribly attractive person. I didn't pay attention to him at all until he talked to me and after I thought that maybe he liked me I started noticing what he looked like. I wouldn't call him "hot"— I mean, he is now, but I hate saying that because it makes me sound shallow and it sounds like I'm only talking about his body. "Cute" sounds too immature, but "handsome" sounds too adult. Somewhere between "hot" and "handsome" I guess.

He has nice hair. I like it; it wasn't messy surfer-boy hair like Evan, but it wasn't short. It was somewhere between light and dark, but it was still lighter than my long dark brown hair. He had brown eyes, but again, they were lighter than mine. Not every guy can have deep, romantic blue eyes, I guess. But I still liked them. They were always full of boyish, crazy, trouble-making thoughts. They always danced around when he got excited. He had a long nose, and for some reason I just really liked it. I don't know why. I noticed it even before I noticed what color his eyes were, and I just thought he had a nice nose. Just like his smile. He had good teeth but what I really liked about his smile was that there was always something behind it. Like he was just showing you a little bit of the mischief he could cause.

And when I see him, and sometimes when I think of him, my heart does the strangest thing. It leaps into my throat and it beats like the wings of a hummingbird and it expands so far that it pulls my mouth into a smile. Not just any smile. A genuine smile, like when you get just what you wanted for your birthday, a smile so wide that your mouth starts to hurt. It's the same kind of feeling I get when I watch old Disney movies or listen to good music or when I sit outside with my family and watch the Northern Lights at the equinox. It makes you want to laugh but also to cry. And sometimes I'm so angry at him and I don't know why.

The strangest thing is, the thing I'd love to do most with him is dancing. For some reason, I find dancing one of the most romantic things you can ever do. Not like at some night club with all these sluts around you. Like in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, where he gets the whole parade to sing "Twist and Shout". Or any other kind of dancing really. Improvise. Anything. Or stargazing. I'd love to take him to Alaska to see the Aurora Borealis. They're just so amazing. Amazingly impossible to describe their magic in words. They dance across the sky, and they look like ink that has been smudged upwards. Bright green and sometimes purple and pink and blue, they make me want to cry because they look so powerful.

Our ancestors are up there. It's an Inuit story. My father is up there, and I'm sure my mother is up there. At least they're together now. Not like I remember them that well. But the idea of love reminds me of the lights dancing across the sky. Perhaps that is why I want to dance so much. Sometimes they're soft and subtle, near the top of the smudge. A sweet romance, rather like Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy. Near the bottom they're more defined and clear against the night, a romance filled with passion, like so many I see on TV. But sometimes they're hidden by the shadow of the trees, and you don't know what's going on behind. Like Romeo and Juliet, who had a hidden love so strong they died to be together. And the way the Aurora blossoms and fades and twists and coils, reminds me of the hardships of love. The Aurora is different every night, and it changes over the course of several hours. Every love is different, and it is constantly changing.

In reality, the lights are there all the time. Just like how our loved ones, family and friends, are with us all the time, living within. But they're only visible in the half of the year when the nights are longer. And our ancestors, like my parents, can only physically be with us for a while. Now they are up there, in the sky. During the cold of the night we can see them dancing together.

Just like true love, I guess. It's always there, no doubt. It just won't surface until the darkest part of the year.

* * *

i really, really, really hope you guys like it, because that is probably the best thing my hands will ever write. reviews and subscriptions are welcome! thank you!


	15. Aurora Borealis

hey! finals ended yesterday (so happy!) and i've been working on this for a while and i wanted to upload it before Valentine's Day. New semester starts on Valentine's Day. I hope you guys have a great one. I'm planning on celebrating being single on Valentine's Day (although not in a depressing way).

* * *

Today is September 21. It is the fall equinox, and tonight, on other side of the world, the rest of my family will be watching the Northern Lights.

Friday nights are usually pretty chill for me, I just sleep, try to do my homework, fail, then just hang out the rest of the time until late.

I came down from my dorm a while before dinner, and meant to find Chase. I didn't, so I retreated to the Great Hall for dinner, where I found him. I left when he did, and was talking him on the way back to our dorms.

"What're you doing tonight?" I asked.

"What do you mean? Probably just nothing. You?"

"I was thinking I might go out and look for the Aurora tonight. I'm not sure it will show up though, we may be too far south."

"Sneaking out, are we?" Chase grinned roguishly.

I looked down, smiled, and nodded.

"I did say we, you know. I'm coming with you."

"I knew you would." I smiled again and found Chase's hand, twisting my fingers and intertwining them with his.

* * *

We snuck out with a couple of blankets at around nine. I hoped no one noticed us on the way out, but I think I was safe with Chase. He's got this whole rule-breaking thing down.

We passed through the corridors unnoticed, save for a few forlorn-looking ghosts and several couples wandering in the castle, doing who knows what. I tried not to identify myself with them, so I just kept my head down and hurried Chase on. I had decided earlier that it would be best to go out on the grounds, where there wouldn't be any teachers to catch us out late.

The air was fresh and cool, not quite cold like Alaska. I could see my breath in the air, and the grass was slippery with moisture. I stopped Chase at a reasonable place and put down a blanket, then sat on it. Chase sat next to me.

"So what are we gonna do?" he asked.

"Well, if we're far enough north, and we get lucky, the Aurora will appear. If we're not…well, then I'll look like the biggest idiot in the world."

"You're not the biggest idiot in the world. I assure you of that."

"Yeah, and how do you know that?"

Chase turned to me and smiled. I stared him down. "I just do. I know you." I glared at him again.

All of a sudden, his face was close. Really close. Did I do that? No, it wasn't me, but I leaned away from him. I was afraid. I was out of my comfort zone. I stared over his shoulder, and into the Forbidden Forest, far away.

Then, I felt his lips on mine. I didn't know what to do, and I almost pulled away, but I knew that's not what I wanted. My eyes were still focused on the Forbidden Forest. Was I supposed to close them? I guess that made it all the more awkward. My eyes fluttered shut and I slowly breathed in the night air, cool with a hint of the smell of Chase. I still hesitated and leaned back, making him tilt forward. I placed a hand on his shoulder, and pulled away. I could feel my face turning red, and I looked down and smiled.

"I'm not very good at this, am I?" I glanced up at Chase, blushing in the darkness.

His lips pulled back into the hint of smile as he shook his head, but instead of glancing down and wringing his hands as I would have, he looked me straight in the eye.

When his gaze became too intense I looked down.

"Don't worry, I know you still love me," he said.

I smiled. "You're so full of yourself, you've got to stop that."

"But then I wouldn't be me!"

"Eh, I guess you're right. But I still love you. I think."

"See, I told you."

I laid back next to him, and threaded my fingers into his, squeezing his rough hand. I spotted a twinkling pinpoint of light; I've known how to recognize it since my childhood. Venus was coming out from the direction of the sunset. West. If I kept going west I'd get to Canada, or maybe America, and if I went far west enough and then north some I'd get to Alaska. _If_ I wanted to walk all that way, or canoe, or whatever. I guess a less roundabout way is walking across Russia, then going across the Bering Strait. I guess that's what the first Indians did. Native Americans, I guess.  
While I was thinking, my eyes were wandering across the sky like crazy. I do that a lot. I focused my attention on Venus again. It was extremely bright. She came out of the sea on a shell; she's the only Greek immortal without a true parent. Roman, I guess, but originally Greek. The gods set her up with Hephaestus, who was supposed to be, I don't know, ugly or lame or something of the sort, but she cheated on him with Ares, the war god. Super sexy war god, I guess.

"Have you ever had a girlfriend?" I asked him.

"Have you?"

"No, I haven't had a girlfriend, or a boyfriend, but shouldn't you answer first?"

Chase groaned, "Fine. No, I haven't officially had a girlfriend, but I have been in several…situations, I guess. I've had experience."

"Fun stuff, man," I squeezed his hand again.

We laid there for a long while, observing the night sky, before I started again.

"You know, the only reason I started liking you was because I thought _you_ liked me in the first place." I rolled over and looked at him. He was smiling.

"That's odd. You're just so strange. Although I think it's sort of the same for me."

"Oh, that's nice."

"You _do_ know that I mean you, right?"

"I don't know, I didn't really think that over. I didn't act too flirty, did I? I really hate it when people do that," I felt my eyebrows mush together with worry.

"Well, if you were, I didn't notice, and I didn't care, did I?" Chase asked.

"I guess so," I shrugged.

We sat in silence for a while. My hand started to get warm and a bit sweaty. I pulled mine away from his and sat up cross-legged. "I'm sorry for dragging you out here. It was kind of dumb of me to think that we might possibly see the lights this far out. I guess I kinda knew that in my subconscious, but I didn't want to admit it. Kinda miss seeing them, though."

I looked at Chase, expecting to be upset for me dragging me out, but I guess he wasn't. "You miss Alaska, don't you?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"You going back anytime soon?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe. Hopefully for winter break."

"I'm coming with you."

I stared at him for a minute, my head tilted to the side. "No, you're not."

"Alright, you got me. But I would if I could."

"What, your parents won't let you?"

"I don't really know. It's pretty cold there, isn't it?"

"To you, I guess."

"How long have you lived there?"

"All my life, pretty much. I've got family up there. My aunt and my cousins..." I stood up. "I think we should go back up. There's no point in staying out here if nothing's gonna happen. I'm sorry," I said quietly.

We walked back up into the castle in silence. I wasn't in the mood to talk anymore. I gave him an awkward, jerky hug in the common room before ascending to my dorm. That night, I forced myself to fall asleep immediately, because I didn't want to think about Chase. I didn't even know _what_ to think.

* * *

I'm sorry this chapter wasn't very good. But I'd hope you review anyways. Or subscribe. OR BOTH.


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